Bro. Brad Warner's comments on Online Zazen ... and my response ...

[bayamo]

My Dharma Brother Brad Warner has expressed some personal criticism of "online Zazen" and online Sanghas ... like TREELEAF! (although he does not mention us by name)

Bro. Brad states that a camera disturbs and obstructs his Zazen.

But, frankly, "disturbance" and "obstruction " are self created thoughts, the inability to sit as "what is."

Brad, 'drop all barriers and resistance from your own thinking, and all barriers and separation drop away. Here and there, now and then, are never apart or in opposition.

True Shikantaza must not create walls and resistance of one's own mind.

My response to Brad is here:

https://youtu.be/VqNpmLviqxM

BW's criticism of the possibilities of Online Sangha is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRn8VrkTwks

Feel free to go over to his Youtube comments section and offer you honest opinions and experiences, for good or bad, with online Zazen and Sangha.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLah

I forget... in his book were you Gummo or Jumbo?
#sattoday

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[Shonin Risa Bear]

Eihei Koroku -- but I have seen this elsewhere as well:

"When Master Xiangyan had passed a number of years in the circle of Guishan, Guishan said, 'Other than what you remember from commentaries or have heard from the sermons of this old monk, bring me a single utterance.'
"Xiangyan looked within the commentaries, but could not find even a single utterance. He said to Guishan, 'I am unable to speak, but I ask you to say it, master.'
"Guishan said, 'I do not refuse to speak for you, except that later you would scold me.'
"Xiangyan said, 'In this present lifetime, I no longer expect to understand Zen. For its duration, I will become a monk who just serves food.' Then he held up his written commentaries and said, 'A painting of a rice cake does not satisfy hunger.' Then he burnt them all.
"Later he traveled to the site of the former hermitage of National Teacher Nanyang Huizhong and built a hut where he stayed. One day while taking a break to sweep the path, at the moment a pebble shot up and knocked against a bamboo, the great matter suddenly became clear. Then he composed a verse saying,
With one blow, subject and object vanish.
I no longer practice to solve things on my own.
In all my activities I celebrate the ancient path,
And do not fall into passivity.
"Then he bathed and dressed in formal manner, faced toward Guishan in the distance, offered incense, made prostrations, and said, 'Great Master Guishan is my excellent teacher. My gratitude to him surpasses that to my father and mother. If he had spoken for me at that time, how could I have had today’s experience?'”

-- Eihei Koroku

If I died in bed in front of a screenful of Sangha members, to me it would be just like dying in the Dharma hall, sitting or standing.

gassho
doyu sat today and lah

[Jundo]

If I died in bed in front of a screenful of Sangha members, to me it would be just like dying in the Dharma hall, sitting or standing.

Perhaps we are all characters on the universe's screen.

Did I blow you mind?

In any case, may the day of your own rebooting be awhile yet.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Shonin Risa Bear]

gassho
doyu sat/lah today

[Chishou]

I understand what Rev. Warner is trying to say, but I mostly disagree. I think an in-person sangha is the “gold-standard” and is preferable, but to suggest there is no merit in on-line sangha is wrong IMO.

My sangha is in Wales, a mere 5 hour drive, so I join them online 3+ times a week for zazen and have digital dokusan. But I am fortunate to be able to see my teacher in the flesh a few times a year.

From my understanding, in days of old, Unsui (novice-monk) would travel the land and sitting in other temples and maybe communicate with their teacher by letter and in person very infrequently.

As Jundo says “all of life is our temple” and all humanity is our sangha.

With love and bows,
Jakushin
座禅をしました。


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